Images

HVO deployed two temporary GPS monitoring instruments in the Ka‘ū Desert, with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. These sites will improve monitoring, hazard analysis, event response, and situational awareness in response to the volcanic unrest at Kīlauea that starting late January 2024.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles mark earthquake locations from January 31, 2024, through noon on February 1, 2024, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Seismicity began early January 31 in the summit region and shifted to the southwest along the Koa‘e fault system late on January 31, 2024.

Recent maintenance work was done on the KWcam (webcam) and F1cam (thermal camera), which are primary cameras used for monitoring activity at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Unrest continues at Kīlauea with heightened seismic activity and ground tilt changes. On January 31, HVO geologists were stationed on the west rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) to document the onset of any eruptive activity at the summit. Numerous earthquakes shook the rim and frequent rockfalls occurred on the walls of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited HVO's former office at Uēkahuna bluff, on Kīlauea's caldera rim, for likely the last time. Their job was to remove the remaining webcams in the observation tower of the Okamura Building, above the former Jaggar Museum. Here, one of the geologists dismantles a webcam with Mauna Loa volcano in the background.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited HVO's former office at Uēkahuna bluff, on Kīlauea's caldera rim, for likely the last time. Their job was to remove the remaining webcams in the observation tower of the Okamura Building, above the former Jaggar Museum.

A cross section of proposed magma plumbing system beneath the surface of Kīlauea. “H” marks the Halema‘uma‘u reservoir; “SC” marks the south caldera reservoir; “K” marks the Keanakāko‘i reservoir; “HKIT” notes a connection between the Halema‘uma‘u reservoir and Kīlauea Iki; SWRZ denotes Southwest Rift Zone.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles mark earthquake locations from November 30, 2023 through January 8, 2024, as recorded by HVO seismometers.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles denote earthquake locations from November 11–December 12, 2023, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Unlike previous maps of unrest in October and November, this one shows a new locus of seismicity in an area known as the East Rift connector.

These plots show provisional CO₂ concentrations from two approximate areas at Kīlauea summit, over March–October 2023.

Map showing the path that Rev. William Ellis took walking from the summit of Kīlauea to Kealakomo on August 2, 1823.

The seismogram tracks 24 hours of signals at station WRM, just west of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea. Examples of spectrographic helicopter noise, a small VT event, and a larger VT event are given below the seismogram.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea's summit and Southwest Rift Zone. Yellow circles denote earthquake locations from October 4–November 5, 2023, as recorded by HVO seismometers.

Left: Annotated photo showing a continuous GPS monitoring station installed by HVO on the Island of Hawai'i. USGS photo by A.P. Ellis. Right: Example graph of processed daily GPS data positions in the east-west (top panel), north-south (middle panel), and vertical (bottom panel) axes for a GPS monitoring station at the summit of Kīlauea over the past two years.

USGS field engineering technician Seth Swaney works on installing the borehole and upgrading seismic station AHUD, located south of Kaluapele and the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Warren. 

In this photo, taken on October 3, 2023, near Kīlauea's coastline in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, a GPS antenna is mounted on a fixed rod. A GPS receiver, housed in the yellow box, records the positions that can be compared with those from previous years to discern subtle patterns of ground deformation associated with volcanic activity.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicists completed the annual GPS survey of Kīlauea. Most Kīlauea and Mauna Loa GPS campaign survey sites have been occupied every year since the early 1990s, whereas the less active volcanoes Hualālai and Haleakalā are surveyed every 3–5 years. USGS photo by A. Ellis.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicists recently completed the annual GPS survey of Kīlauea.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit region following the most recent eruption in September 2023. The provided statistics for the eruption were measured and calculated from detailed aerial mapping that was completed after activity had ceased; a much weaker gas plume allowed for more accurate modeling of the post-eruption lava surface. 

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea summit. Yellow circles denote earthquake locations from October 4–24, 2023, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Nearly 2,000 earthquakes were detected during this time period. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation from September 24–October 10 as measured by satellite radar.

This map shows recent unrest in Kīlauea’s summit region. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation and yellow circles denote earthquake locations.